{"id":1023,"date":"2017-10-09T12:24:45","date_gmt":"2017-10-09T16:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketviewliquor.com\/blog\/?p=1023"},"modified":"2024-02-26T11:21:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-26T15:21:36","slug":"12-best-food-wine-festivals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketviewliquor.com\/blog\/12-best-food-wine-festivals\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Best Food and Wine Festivals"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"12<\/a><\/p>\n

Not all food and wine festivals are created equal. The inspiration for wine festivals stemmed from celebrating the harvest of grapes \u2013 and we can trace the origin of these celebrations back to the Greek god of the grape harvest, Dionysus. But over time, they have evolved in various ways in different places all across the country. While some continue to celebrate in the fall, around the traditional time of harvest, others have started hosting in different seasons. While some focus on unique, regional wines, others have expanded to include an international portfolio of varieties. Many benefit tourism, while others have developed a partnership with a charity they donate all or most of the proceeds to. Some have music; others provide impressive menus. All of them offer a good time in their own way.<\/p>\n

To give you a taste of some of our favorites, we\u2019ve gathered a list of some of the best food and wine festivals in locations all across the country and at all times of the year. After all, celebrating a good glass of wine is always in season.<\/p>\n

Fall Wine Festivals<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Given the harvest theme, fall is naturally a favorite time of year for wine festivals \u2013 from grape harvests to grape stomping and, of course, wine tasting \u2013 it\u2019s the busiest time of year for wineries. As the air gets cooler and crisper, and the fall foliage begins to show, it\u2019s a perfect time to make a trip to a couple of our favorite wine festivals. Our picks for this part of the year span all the way from the West Coast to the East Coast.<\/p>\n

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  1. Wine & Spirits Top 100<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If you\u2019re looking for wine connoisseurs, certainly they\u2019re among the staff at Wine & Spirits Magazine. So it\u2019s no surprise that their exclusive Wine and Spirit\u2019s Top 100 event makes our list of best wine festivals. Throughout the year, critics on staff blind-taste over 15,000 bottles of wine and then select 100 of the best wineries to be featured at this annual event in San Francisco. Wineries are required to present their highest-rate wine at the event, so as a guest, you\u2019re sure to be served the best of the best \u2013 sometimes poured by the winemakers themselves. As if that wasn\u2019t impressive enough, it doesn\u2019t stop with good wine. Acclaimed chefs from San Francisco are also onsite serving their signature specialties, often including fresh oysters, local cheeses and other artisan specialties \u2013 making this an event both wine lovers and foodies won\u2019t want to miss.<\/p>\n

    \"Wine<\/a><\/p>\n

    As a bonus, this wine festival teams up with groups that work to protect water resources to raise money and awareness, so you can feel extra good about spending money on a ticket. This year, proceeds from this event benefit San Francisco Baykeeper, an organization that advocates to stop pollution in the San Francisco Bay. As Wine & Spirits points out, wine is 80% water<\/a>, so water purity and conversation is an issue that should be near and dear to a wine drinker\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n

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    1. Epcot\u00ae International Food & Wine Festival<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Epcot may make you think of a place you go primarily for the kids, but their food and wine festival proves they have something for the whole family. This Disney Park is known for taking families around the world to 11 country pavilions in a day \u2013 its food and wine festival takes it up a notch and adds food and drinks from an additional twelve countries and regions. Celebrate with a grand tasting event, specialty pairing or a wine seminar. The best part? The fact that this event is family-friendly. There are a wide variety of kid-friendly food options, so your children have the opportunity to indulge, too \u2013 in a different way, of course.<\/p>\n

      \"Epcot<\/a><\/p>\n

      In addition to sampling cuisine and drinks from around the world, this is one of the longest wine and food festivals \u2013 lasting an entire 75 days from the end of August into November, so you have plenty of time to buy your tickets and plan your trip. Big name TV chefs and culinary icons make the trip to Disney to teach you their cooking and baking tips live \u2013 some of the big names include Alex Guarnaschelli, Cat Cora, Buddy Valastro, Shaun O\u2019Neale and Carla Hall. You\u2019ll also enjoy jamming to live music as big names are also a part of the festival\u2019s Eat to the Beat concert series \u2013 among the acts this year are Boyz II Men and Sugar Ray.<\/p>\n

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      1. New York City Wine and Food Festival<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Known as NYCWFF, the New York City Wine and Food Festival is the largest in New York City with more than 50,000 attendees \u2013 not surprising when you consider that Food Network, Cooking Channel and Coca-Cola are behind this event. This event has a lot of bragging rights, but the best part is that 100% of the net proceeds from this event benefit Food Bank for New York City and the No Kid Hungry\u00ae campaign.<\/p>\n

        While you\u2019re supporting this worthy cause, you\u2019ll have the opportunity to taste the creations from over 100 wineries and spirit producers in settings that range from intimate dinners to a signature Grand Tasting. You can even bring the kids to this food and wine festival, as it also features family-friendly activities. At this event, you\u2019ll get to rub elbows with over 500 famous chefs, wine and spirit producers, pop culture icons and, of course, your favorite Food Network and Cooking Channel celebrities. Not only that, but you\u2019ll be able to party at some of New York City\u2019s best venues, including Food Network and Cooking Channel\u2019s Culinary Campus at Piers 92 and 94.<\/p>\n

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        1. San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Travel and Leisure names San Diego one of \u201cAmerica\u2019s Best Cities for Foodies.\u201d Pair that with California vineyards, and you have an epicurean experience like no other. Over 150 wineries, breweries and spirit purveyors and 60 of the city\u2019s best restaurants come together to throw a West Coast celebration that\u2019s tough to beat. Over 10,000 wine lovers and foodies make the trip from all across the country to be a part of this food and wine festival. With eight days of events, there is something for everyone. From chef\u2019s battling to make the best fish taco to seminars on the coastal qualities of SLO Wine Country, you won\u2019t be disappointed.<\/p>\n

          \"San<\/a><\/p>\n

          Traveling on a budget? You\u2019ll be happy to know they have a category of events that are budget friendly at $85 and under. If you\u2019re just going for the wine, you can purchase the wine lovers package to make sure you hit all of the wine highlights. Haven\u2019t been to San Diego before? You might want to check out the \u201cexperience San Diego\u201d package so you can enjoy your glass of wine with some sightseeing. Neither of those sound like something you\u2019re interested in? Don\u2019t worry; there are other packages available that just might fit what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n

          Winter Wine Festivals<\/strong><\/h2>\n

          Winter is a great time to trade in your crisp, fruity wines for a textured wine. But thanks to our winter wine festivals, you won\u2019t have to put away your warm weather favorites or bundle up for these wine and food festivals \u2013 instead, pack your bags and head south.<\/p>\n

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          1. Naples Winter Wine Festival<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            The Naples Winter Wine Festival makes our list of best wine festivals because it\u2019s a combination of great wine and a great cause. Held during a weekend in January, this event began in 2001 and has raised over $161 million for at-risk and underprivileged children<\/a> through the Naples Children and Education Foundation (NCEF). While wine and food are front and center for attendees, it\u2019s truly all for the kids. In fact, the entire weekend kicks off with a day dedicated to meeting the children and organizations the festival\u2019s proceeds have helped \u2013 including a lunch break with acclaimed vintners.<\/p>\n

            \"Naples<\/p>\n

            Then you\u2019ll dive right into a weekend full of events, including exclusive dinners with award-winning chefs and celebrated vintners in different locations throughout Naples, a live auction with a selection of some of the world\u2019s finest and rarest wines, and a \u201cwine down\u201d with live music by Grammy-winning musicians. Attendees fly in from all over the world for this event, so if you want to make the guest list, you\u2019ll have to plan ahead. Wine and charity sure are a winning pair!<\/p>\n

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            1. Charleston Wine and Food Festival<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              This South Carolina festival started 13 years ago and attracts almost 20,000 food and wine enthusiasts from across the country. In these four days, you\u2019ll get to taste the best wines, barbecue and tacos \u2013 all using the traditional Lowcountry ingredients. With over 100 events on the schedule, they have a variety of food and wine experiences to offer. Wine lunches and traditional tastings are a part of the lineup, but they also have a few unique sessions, like one called \u201cUnicorn Wines\u201d that claims to offer once in a lifetime tasting experiences. In addition to all of the wine-focused events, there are several events for foodies. Acclaimed chefs, artists and experts teach hands-on classes with all different themes and cuisine focuses so that you can develop your very own culinary skills. Signature dinners and brunches combine food and wine, and the culinary village at the heart of the festival gives you the opportunity to pair your wine with a little retail therapy. The only difficult part is choosing which events to attend.<\/p>\n

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              1. Key West Food and Wine Festival<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                If you live somewhere with cold winters, escape to the islands at the southernmost tip of Florida for a five-day wine and food festival you\u2019ll never forget. This particular festival is all about celebrating the islands. Over 3000 people make their way to the Keys each year to enjoy wine and food with breathtaking views. These Floridians are passionate about hosting the event \u2013 iconic island locations team up to offer waterfront tastings, winemaker and chef collaborations and other \u201cfunky events\u201d that give guests an authentic taste of Key West. A few of these fun activities include cooking dishes with Francesca, exploring tropical gardens, watching a beautiful sunset, eating Bahama Brunch, being a part of an \u201cOld Town Shrimp Boil,\u201d and going on an Italian cooking adventure. What a great way to escape winter and celebrate wine and food!<\/p>\n

                Spring Wine Festivals<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                Wine and spring fever are a perfect pair! As the days begin to get longer and the weather starts to get warmer, spring is a great time to celebrate food and wine.<\/p>\n

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                1. Paso Robles Wine Festival<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  We\u2019re sure you\u2019ve heard of Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, but situated farther south, in between San Francisco and Los Angeles, you\u2019ll find Paso Robles, the largest and most diverse wine region in all of California. Home to more than 200 wineries and 40,000 vineyard acres that grow more than 40 wine grape varietals, this is an area that is completely focused on premium wine production. From Blaufrankisch <\/a>to Zinfandel, the wines are sophisticated, so you\u2019re sure to find some of your favorite classics, but also some new non-traditional blends you might just fall in love with. Held downtown in a city park, more than 70 wineries gather for the \u201cGrand Tasting.\u201d From there, you can make your way beyond the park to wine seminars, BBQs, winemaker dinners, live music and more.<\/p>\n

                  \"Paso<\/a><\/p>\n

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                  1. Nantucket Wine & Food Festival<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                    Every May for five days, this little island throws a big food and wine party. Nantucketeers have been hosting the event for 22 years, and have over 60 events \u2013 and that\u2019s not including the individual restaurants on Nantucket that join in the fun and host their own events simultaneously. Rather than buying one ticket to the festival, tickets are sold individually for each event \u2013 and last year, they all sold out, so keep your eye on their website to make sure you don\u2019t miss out on reserving your spot to your favorite event.<\/p>\n

                    Among a few of the features that make this stand out from other wine and food festivals:<\/p>\n